"and the Pastor said"
Thanks very much for your message, and for linking to your blog. I guess I would say I am indeed one of those pastors who believes in Jesus as "the way, the truth and the lIfe" (John 14:6). Jesus even then goes on to say that no one comes to the Father except through him. The discussion for many, then, revolves around whether the "me" in that needs to refer to Jesus who walked this earth, or, in a more general way, the eternal Word of Creation, Logos, (a force/spirit that could be understood as manifested in different ways according to various world views). I feel called to follow in the steps of John the Baptist who pointed away from himself to Jesus as the one who has saving compassion on the whole world (John 1:29).
Having said that, I would also say that I rejoice in your experience of God, however that comes. In his call to Moses, God identified himself as simply "yahweh", meaning "I will be who will be" or "you will know me as you experience me." Even John Calvin, the staid father of Presbyterianism, took up the first part of his massive "Institutes of the Christian Religion" pointing out that God is everywhere and in all things and humans should therefore be able to know him on that basis. But he goes on to point out that our human nature is such that we have trouble perceiving that and so we have Jesus to relate to on our level and the Holy Spirit to empower believing and living with a strength beyond our own. Nevertheless, I would add, in agreement with you, that God is there to be discovered wherever and however He (God as true Spirit can be neither male nor female)/The Divine/Yahweh/Lord/Logos) chooses to reveal himself (I will persist with male pronouns in spite of what I've just said before).
My own experience of the Divine is to be called to point to "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" as my life's mission.
Having said that, I would also say that I rejoice in your experience of God, however that comes. In his call to Moses, God identified himself as simply "yahweh", meaning "I will be who will be" or "you will know me as you experience me." Even John Calvin, the staid father of Presbyterianism, took up the first part of his massive "Institutes of the Christian Religion" pointing out that God is everywhere and in all things and humans should therefore be able to know him on that basis. But he goes on to point out that our human nature is such that we have trouble perceiving that and so we have Jesus to relate to on our level and the Holy Spirit to empower believing and living with a strength beyond our own. Nevertheless, I would add, in agreement with you, that God is there to be discovered wherever and however He (God as true Spirit can be neither male nor female)/The Divine/Yahweh/Lord/Logos) chooses to reveal himself (I will persist with male pronouns in spite of what I've just said before).
My own experience of the Divine is to be called to point to "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" as my life's mission.
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